Living with God
“Don’t do that!” We are all familiar with laws, boundaries, rules and instructions, from an early age! Of course, children thrive when they have clear boundaries, explained and enforced with kindness but firmness. Laws are part of every society.
The context for this most famous set of laws is in the previous chapter. The people are told through Moses how to prepare for an encounter with the perfect, holy God, so there are boundaries even in how close they can get. But the good news is God’s promise to speak directly with them and make them a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.
Then God speaks. Each commandment reflects His nature. The starting point is who is God (v2). Because He is the One God and brought them out of slavery it is important not to be seduced by idols of any kind (anything we hold dear that gets in the way of worshipping God alone). Then there are implications for all relationships. Our love for God means love for others: right relationships is what the Law is all about and if we want to be at peace with God we have to be at peace with our neighbours (any people we are in contact with).
However, the people are afraid and want to keep their distance, hearing God’s words through Moses as a mediator. They cannot cope with hearing directly from a holy God. We now have the perfect Mediator, Jesus, who has made it possible for us to have an intimate relationship with the holy God.
It is tragic that they did not want to hear direct, turning their backs on what would make them truly a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.
The principle of ‘accommodation’ is an important key to understanding the Old Testament. God wants the best; the people cannot handle it; so God accommodates their humanity and rebellion by changing His plan and bringing them through to the desired result another way. God is like an all-seeing chess player - adapting to the moves that people make. Yet He is also outside time, seeing the end and the beginning together. I do not understand how this works because I am not God (!) but it leads me to worship.
Later God reveals to the prophets Jeremiah (31:31-4) and Ezekiel (36:25-7) that He will fill His people with the Spirit and write the laws on our hearts.
Now we live under the New Covenant, all who are in Christ (whatever our background) receive the Spirit, become children of God and inherit all the promises first made to Abraham (see Galatians 3:28-9).
Now we can live free from laws because we have the Spirit in our hearts - we follow the Spirit not the letter of the law because we know God as a friend.
As Peter teaches in 1 Peter 2:9-10, as we follow the Spirit, now we really are becoming a priestly kingdom and a holy nation!
- Chris Horton
The context for this most famous set of laws is in the previous chapter. The people are told through Moses how to prepare for an encounter with the perfect, holy God, so there are boundaries even in how close they can get. But the good news is God’s promise to speak directly with them and make them a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.
Then God speaks. Each commandment reflects His nature. The starting point is who is God (v2). Because He is the One God and brought them out of slavery it is important not to be seduced by idols of any kind (anything we hold dear that gets in the way of worshipping God alone). Then there are implications for all relationships. Our love for God means love for others: right relationships is what the Law is all about and if we want to be at peace with God we have to be at peace with our neighbours (any people we are in contact with).
However, the people are afraid and want to keep their distance, hearing God’s words through Moses as a mediator. They cannot cope with hearing directly from a holy God. We now have the perfect Mediator, Jesus, who has made it possible for us to have an intimate relationship with the holy God.
It is tragic that they did not want to hear direct, turning their backs on what would make them truly a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.
The principle of ‘accommodation’ is an important key to understanding the Old Testament. God wants the best; the people cannot handle it; so God accommodates their humanity and rebellion by changing His plan and bringing them through to the desired result another way. God is like an all-seeing chess player - adapting to the moves that people make. Yet He is also outside time, seeing the end and the beginning together. I do not understand how this works because I am not God (!) but it leads me to worship.
Later God reveals to the prophets Jeremiah (31:31-4) and Ezekiel (36:25-7) that He will fill His people with the Spirit and write the laws on our hearts.
Now we live under the New Covenant, all who are in Christ (whatever our background) receive the Spirit, become children of God and inherit all the promises first made to Abraham (see Galatians 3:28-9).
Now we can live free from laws because we have the Spirit in our hearts - we follow the Spirit not the letter of the law because we know God as a friend.
As Peter teaches in 1 Peter 2:9-10, as we follow the Spirit, now we really are becoming a priestly kingdom and a holy nation!
- Chris Horton
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